Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a divisional multi-pole connector comprising plural kinds of connectors mounted on a single frame.
Description of the Prior Art
A wire harness connected to various lamps, wipers, a fuel meter, a speed meter, etc. on a motor vehicle are connected to a junction box including the sockets thereof, thus forming data signal transmitting paths to relays, circuit breakers, fuses, and control units coupled to the junction box. A junction box of this type has been disclosed by, for instance, Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 132126/1985 (the term "OPI" as used herein means an "unexamined application"). The junction box thus disclosed is as shown in FIG. 6; that is, the junction box 50 comprises: a sub socket 51 which is connected to a relay; a sub socket 52 which is engaged with a circuit breaker; a sub socket 53 to which fuses are connected; a sub socket 54 which is connected to a control unit. Furthermore, the junction box 50 is so designed that the blocks of the wire harness which have female terminals in correspondence to the sub sockets 51 through 54 are mounted on the rear surface of the junction box 50.
Of those female terminals of the junction box 50, for instance, female terminals 55 for connecting the relay, as shown in FIG. 7, are inserted into insertion holes 56 formed in the sub socket 51 and locked there, and are engaged with the male terminals of the relay inserted into the sub socket from above. The remaining sub sockets are different in size in correspondence to the configurations of the male terminals of the circuit breaker, the fuses, and the control unit, respectively, and have steps in the engaging surface where they are engaged with connecting units or mating connectors mounted on the junction box.
On the other hand, FIG. 8 shows a divisional multi-pole connector comprising plural kinds of connector housings different in configuration which are arranged on a single frame so as to connect a plurality of wire harnesses at one position. In the connector, frame 58 has a bolt 57 at the center which is engaged with a bolt hole of a mating frame (not shown), four guide ribs 59, respectively, at the four corners which are engaged with the mating frame. The frame 58 further includes cavities 61 around the aforementioned bolt 57, in which the connector housings 60 are set. With the guide ribs 59 engaged with guide holes of the mating frame, the bolt is tightened so that the two frames are fastened to each other, whereby the connector housings on one of the two frames are connected to those on the other.
The divisional multi-pole connector has a common structure so that the frame can be applied to any place in the motor vehicle. For instance, in the case where the number of connectors is small depending on the kind of the motor vehicle, the two frames are fastened to each other with some of the cavities (provided for connector housings) left open.
When the various connector housings are retained in the frame the engaging surfaces of the connector housings are staggered. Therefore, when an electronic unit is engaged with or disengaged from the connector, it may be caught by the adjacent unit or units, or it may be damaged because of the poor working condition due to the steps. On the other hand, in the case where the divisional multi-pole connector have some of its cavities which are not engaged with connector housings, the guide ribs are protruded from the engaging surface of the connector, thus substantially forming steps in the engaging surface. Therefore, the guide ribs may strike against the connectors mounted on the mating frame, to damage, for instance, the terminals thereof. In addition, during engagement of the connector, the insertion is advanced on the side of the cavity. Therefore, on the connector mounting side, the insertion is delayed by the action of the force of engagement, so that the frames may be cocked with respect to each other, and the terminals may be deformed.
In the case where the end surface of the end portion of the connector housing is uneven, or the connector housing has recesses which are formed by omitting parts of the connector housing, the wire harness may be damaged dropping in the recesses or being caught by the uneven engaging surface.
In view of the foregoing, an object of this invention is to provide a divisional multi-pole connector in which the mating connectors are smoothly engaged with each other, and which is prevented from being deformed, and which is free from the difficulty that it catches or entangles a wire harness or the like, to damage the terminals thereof.